Sheet-feeding mechanism



APPLlCATIDN FILED AUG.30, |921.

' PatentedSept. 5, 1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET l u Ik l his Atorngy.

' F. DE NHNICO. SHEET FEEDING MECHNISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG130|I92L ww. 70am MM m3 F m m P Nm jizz/evitar;

Hlllllllllllllil!IIIHEIH Ijlll F. DE MlNlco. y SHEET FEEDING MECHANISWIAAPPLICAION FILED AUG.30, 192|. 1,428,149.

Ptented Sept.

V', 1922. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

` UNITED STATES 1,423,149 PATENT OFEICE FRANK nn MINIOO, OF Newy YORK,N. Y., AssIeNOR 'ro PoLLARD-ALMNG MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-FEEDNG MEGHANISM.

Application filed vAugust 30, 1921. Serial .Nm 496,940.

. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-FeedingMechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet feedingl mechanisms'and has for itsobject to provide amechanism of the class specified, sim.-

ple in construction and rapid and accurate Iin operation. With theseobjects in vviewl my improvements comprise features illustrated in theirreferred embodiment in the accompanying rawings, wherein Figure 1 is asectional side elevation on 'Y line 1--1 of Fig. 2, Of so much of anorgan- -In the mechanism therein set sheets are separated successivelyfrom the ized sheet feeding machine as will suffice to illustrate myimprovements.A Fig. 2 is a rear elevation partly in section on line -22of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations, similar to a portion ofwhat is shown in Fig. 1, and illustrate successive steps in theoperation of my improved mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detailelevation of aportion of what is shown in Fig. 1 with the parts in differ-- entrelative positions. All of the figures of the drawings are to the samescale.

' The present invention 'is in the nature of improvements `on themechanism shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,232,662,granted on my inVention'July 10, 1917, and to which reference ma orth,the

stack by means applied near their upper edges and those upper edges areturned abruptly downward about a small roll. In the present mechanismthe' sheets are separated successively from the stack by means appliednear their bottom edges and those edges are turned upwardly in a largecurve for engagement Aby subsequently acting members of the mechanism.While, with single sheets or thin periodicals, my earlier mechanism ishighli7 successful, I have found that added facility and accuracyill-handling thick periodicals is had with my present improvedmechanism. y

Directing attention now to the drawings, a stack of sheets orperiodicals 4 is supported on a pair of spaced-apart rails 5, 6 betweenwhich are a pair of spaced-apart eno.- less chains, as 7, supported onsprockets, as

be had.'

8, 9. The upper runs of said chains travel in' a plane slightly abovethe upper faces of rails 5, 6 so as to of the periodica place offeeding, one -at a time, to conveying mechanism. The upper ortion of theforemost periodical 3 of stac 4 is. supported by some convenient means,such as cross-rods 10, 11 reaching from side frame 12 to the oppositeside frame 13. Rails 5, 6 and chains,

gently/urge the lower edges as"7, have their sheet engagingportionsinclined downwardly toward the place of feeding, Awhereby the force ofgravity is efficient to maintain the stack against rods 10, 11. Thedelivery ends of rails '5, 6 are inclined upwardly, as at 45a of rail 5,for supporting the periodical'as its lower edge is bent forwardly by thesuction feed At its bottom, the rear end of stack 4 is engaged by pusher14 which is .urged forwardly by weight 15 attached by cord 16 tocarriage 17 in which said pusher. 14 isv pivoted at 62. Said carriageslides on ways, as 60, and may be retracted by handle 61. Whenreplenishing the stack, additional periodicals may be set up behindpusher 14, and then the pusher' to the rear of the added supply, itscounterweight 63' will right it into operative position.

. Shaft. 18, to which chain sprockets as 9 are.. fixed, is rotatedintermittently to advance the upper runs of said chains in the directionof arrow by known means, such as a ratchet and pawl actuated fromeccentric 2O fixed to shaft 19. For temporarily maintaining the front ofstack 4, at the lower edge thereof, in suitable position' for theengagement and removal of the foremost sheet, arms 21, 22 are fixed toshaft 23 mounted for oscillation below theplace of feeding occupied bythe lower end of sheet 3, Fig. 1. Said shaft 23 may be oscillated at.suitable predetermined times, through arm larn 29. Said arm hasoscillatably mounted s forwardly toward theV y gether by equal gears 55,56.

lconstantly urged downwardly by spring 57 in its free upper end pickerscomprising suction noses 30, 30 for engagement with the front face ofthe lower end of foremost periodical 3 of stack 4. Said arm may beoscillated from the position of Fig. l, through that of Fig. 3, to theposition of Fig- 4 and back again by means of eccentric 3l iixed toshaft 26.- Motion istransmitted from said eccentric 31 to rockarin 32projecting from the hub of arm 29 by the usual eccentric strap arm` 33.Arm 29 and its transverse bearing 34 at its :free end, are of tubularconstruction and such tubular construction extends through the hub ofsaid arm to tube 35 depending from the left hand portion, Fig. 2, ofshaft 28. Said tube 35 may be connected to some known source of suction,not shown. For oscillating suction noses 30, 30 for maintainingoperati-ve coaction with sheet 3 during the forward oscillation of arm29, F ig. 1, the following means are provided: Said suction nosesprotrude from a common body 36 to which is fixed pinion 37. Fixed to theright hand portion of fixed shaft 28 is gear sector 38 and pivoted onhub 39 of arm 29 is oscillating men ber 40 having opposite gear sectorportions 41, 42, the former meshing with pinion-3?, the latter with gearsector 38.

For receiving and advancing the periodicals one at a time, whendelivered thereto by suction noses 30, 30 the *following means areprovided: Fixed to upper shaft 19 and spaced-apart thereon are feeddiscs 43, .44, and theiebelow for coaction therewith, respectively, arediscs 45, 46. These latter discs have mutilated peripheries which willbe described more in detail hereinafter. Also said discs 45, 46 arepeculiarly mounted as'follows: rlurning freely on shaft 26 are oppositesleeves 47, 48. [as these and the mechanisms carried thereby aresubstantially the same, a description of one will suliice for both.Sleeve 4T has projecting to the left therefrom arpa 4S and tothe rightarm 50, Fig. l. J end.` pivotally mounted for rotation, disc 45, andfixed to shaft 51 of said disc is pinion 52. Fixed to shaft 26 is pinion53 and pivotally mounted on arm 49 is intermediate gear 54, between andmeshing with pinions 52 and 53. Shafts 19 and 26are geared to- Arm 50 isand `its downwardmovement is limited'by adjustable stop 58. By thisorganization it will he observed that, between` discs 45 and 46. Fig. 2,an open space is provided in which arm 29 swings for moving eachsuccessive periodical into the paths of discs 45, 46, respectively.

Discs 45 and 46 each have a maximum radius equal to the radius of itscoacting disc above on shaft 19. Said discs 45 and 46 are alike, anddirecting attention par- Arrn 49 carries on its free ticularly to disc45, it will be noted that about half of its periphery 45a, is of onemaximum radius, and that an adjoining portion 45h. of about threeeighths of the periphery, has a slightly less radius'7 and that betweensaid portions is pocket 45 whereby peripheral portion 45a is providedwith hook 45d at its leading end.

`To the right of discs 43 to 46, Fig. Vl, and slightly below their planeof coaction is table 59. Said table` extends to the left a shortdistance into the paths of discs 45, 46 and is suitably notched to giveroom for said discs.

The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows: A stack of sheets,pamphlets or periodicals 4, having been erected on rails 5, 6 with theupper portion of the right hand sheet 3 resting against rods l0, 11 andwith pusher 14 `urged by weight 15 against the lower rear portion of thestack, shaft v26, which may be considered the main shaft, is started inrotation in clockwise direction, Fig. l. For the moment disregarding theposition of sheet 3, the positions of the parts in Fig. 4, may beconsidered the initial position in the operation of the mechanism. andtherein arms 21, 22 are shown in sus taining relation to the lower frontportion of the stack. rlhe slight separation of the bottom portions ofsome of the sheets of the stack will thereupon be more or less closed upby the incremental advance of the feed chains, as 7. Arm 29 thenoscillates from the position of Fig. 4 to that of F ig. l, suction noses30, 30 swinging upwardly to present their operative mouths against theleading sheet 3, Fig. l. At the saine time arms 2l, 22 swing away fromengagement with 4the lower iront portion of the stach, Fig. l,

thus leaving pickers 30, 30 free to move the lower portion of sheet 3forwardlyto the right over the upwardly inclined ends 5a of rails 5, 6,and into the path of hooks 45 of dises 45, 46, Fig. Arm 29. continuesits oscillation to the right. pickers 30. 30 release their hold of sheet3 and hooks 45d lift the leading end of the sheet into engagement withthe lower portions of the peripheries of upper discs 43, andinaxiinumradius portions 45il of discs 46 thereupon coact with the respectiveupper discs to grip and feed sheet 3 forwardly to the righttherebetween, Fig. 4. ln the meantime "arms 2l,

swing back to sustain the lower forward bination of a pair of rails forsupporting a stack of sheets on edge, the delivery ends of said railsbeing inclined upwardly for sustaining each sheet as delivered,oscillating means for intermittently supportingA the lower front portionof said stack, a pushei` slidably mounted for engagement with the lowerportion of the rear of the stack, and means for urging said pusher toengage said stack, said pusher being pivotally mounted for folding tobelow said rails.

2. In sheet feeding mechanism the combination of two upper feed discsspaced apart, two lower feed discs similarly spaced apart for coactionwith said upper discs respectively, said lower discs being movableltoward and from said upper discs, means for urging said lower discstoward said up-y per discs respectively, said lower discs be-4 ingoppositely supported and actuated wherebyan open space is providedtherebetween, each of .said lower discs having a portion of. itsperiphery of maximum radius for coaction with its'respective.upper'discfor advancing the sheets one by one and another portion of its peripheryof less radius for freeing said sheetwhile still sustaining the sheet,each of said discs having a portion thereof cut away between saidperipheral portions whereby the leading end of the portion of maximumradius is provided with a hook for engaging'and lifting the sheet intoengagement with its respective upper disc, and means `located withinsaid open space for delivering the lower portion of said sheets one at atime into the path of said lower discs.

f3. In sheet feeding mechanism the combination of means for advancing astack of sheets on edge, two upper feed discs spaced apart, two lowerfeed discs similarly l spaced apart for coaction with said'u'pper discsrespectively, said lower discs being independently-movable toward andfrom said upper discs respectively, means for urging' said lower discstoward said upper discs respectively, said lower discs being oppositelysupported and actuated whereby an open space is provided therebetween,each of said lower discs having a portion of its periphery of maximumradius for coaction with its respective upper disc for advancing thesheets one by one and another portion of its periphery of less radiusfor freeing said 'sheet while still sustaining the sheet, each of saiddiscs having a portion thereof cut away between said peripheral portionswhereby the leading ,end of the portion of maximum radius is providedwith a hook for engaging and liftingthe sheet into engagement with itsrespective upper disc, and an oscillating picker mounted for movementwithin said open space adapted .and actuated for engaging the lowerportion of the foremost sheet of the stack and for moving said lowerdiscs.

4. In sheet feeding mechanism the coinbination of means for advancing astack of sheets on edge, two upper feed discsspaced apart, two lowerfeed discs similarly spaced portion into the path of said lower apartfor coaction with said upper discs respectively, said lower discs beingmovable toward and from said upper discs, means for urging said lowerldiscs toward said upper discs respectively, said lower4 4discs beingoppositely supported and actuated whereby an open space is providedtherebetween, and means located within said open space for deliveringthe lower portions of said sheets one at a time into the path of saidlower discs. i

5. In sheet feeding mechanism'the combination of means for advancing astack of sheets on edge, two upper feed discs spaced apart, two lowerfeed discs similarly spaced apart for coaction with said upperdiscsrespectively, said lower discs being movable toward and from'saidupper discs, means for urging said lower discs toward said upper discsrespectively, said lower discs being oppositely supported and actuatedwhereby an open space is provided therebetween,

andan oscillating picker mounted for movediscs having a portion' of itsperiphery of maximum radius for coaction with its r spective upper discrfor advancing the sheets one by oneand another portion of its peripheryof less radius for freeing said sheet while still sustaining the sheet,each of said discs having a portion thereofcutaway between saidperipheral portions wliereby the leading end of the portion of maximumradius is provided with a -hook for engaging and lifting the sheet intoengagement with its respective upper disc, and means for deliveringsheets one at a time from the stack advancing means into the path ofsaid lower discs. 4

7. In sheet feeding mechanism the combination of means for advancing astack of sheets on edge, two upper feed discs spaced apart, two lowerfeed discs similarly spaced apart for coaction with said upper discsrespectively, said lower discs being independently movable toward vandfrom said upper dises respectively, means for urging said lower disestoward said upper dises respectively, each of said lower discs having ap0rtion of its periphery of maximum radius for eoaetion with itsrespective upper dise for advancing the sheets one by one and anotherportion of its periphery of less radius for freeing said sheet Whilestill sustaining the sheet, each of said dises having a portion thereofout away between said peripheral Y ieeazio portions whereby the leadingend. of the portion of maximum radius is provided with a hook forengaging and lifting the sheet into engagement with its respective dise5and means for delivering sheets one at a time y from the stackadvancing1r means inte the path of said lower dises,

1n witness whereof, l hereby aiiix my signature this 26th day of August,192i, FRANK DE MNICO.

